Absorbent articles having defined core regions and chassis regions are supposed to have a comfortable fit about the wearer. For pant articles like pant diapers, sanitary pants and incontinence pants it is also desirable that the articles are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily put on and remove the article when it has been soiled. It is known to make such absorbent pants with elasticized stretchable side panels and waist portion, usually comprising elastic members, such as elastic threads, contractably affixed between the backsheet and the topsheet.
It is further known to make portions of the chassis of absorbent articles of an elastic material, such as stretch-bonded laminates. Such laminates may include a layer of meltblown elastomeric fibers which have been stretched and sandwiched between outer layers of spunbonded webs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,245 discloses an extensible outer cover for an absorbent article which provides a certain permanent deformation when subjected to a tensile force. The extensible outer cover comprises a necked laminate in the form of one layer of a necked non-elastic film and one layer of an elastic film. The films may be breathable.
WO 03/047488 discloses an elastic laminate comprising an elastic film which on opposite sides is bonded to first and second non-elastic fibrous layers. The laminate is made by bonding the non-elastic fibrous layers to the elastic film layer and subsequently stretching the composite material, causing the non-elastic materials to break. The elastic film material may be of a breathable material. The laminate may be incorporated in an absorbent article.
US 2004/0243086 discloses a disposable pant-like undergarment having stretchable front and back panels, for example made of an elastic laminate. An elastic waist band is secured to the distal edge of at least one of the front and back panels, said elastic waistband having a retracted length which is less than the retracted length of the panel to which is it attached. The elastic waistband comprises a folded non-elastic web member enclosing one or more elongate elastic members. The elastic waistband is made in a separate manufacturing step and is secured to the distal edge of the front and/or back panel in a semi-stretched condition on the side of said panel facing away from the wearer.
Further examples of absorbent articles which in part are made of elastic laminates are found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,289 and JP 10043235.
International applications PCT/SE2004/001004, PCT/SE2004/001005 and PCT/SE2004/001415 refer to absorbent articles comprising an outer coversheet in the form of an elastic laminate having improved properties such as cloth-like feel an appearance. An elastic waistband is secured to the waist edge of the outer coversheet.
Japanese patent publication no. 03-205053 discloses a pant diaper having an elastic waistband secured separately to the diaper chassis, the waistband being folded over the distal edges of the diaper chassis. The diaper chassis comprises a conventional liquid permeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet, which normally are inelastic, and having an absorbent structure enclosed there between.
There is however still need for improvement of the properties of absorbent articles comprising an elastic web material, such as an elastic laminate, as an outer coversheet, particularly their fit and appearance at the waist opening. The comfort and soft feel of absorbent articles of the above mentioned type is also important as well as the cost aspect including manufacturing costs for disposable articles, which are discarded after one single use.